Missing Moments
by reigningseven
Summary: This is a collection of Kelly/Austin deleted scenes from J.O.M. Can be read alone. Rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

Kelly liked living with Austin. In fact she secretly loved it. He had his quirks such as dancing around the kitchen instead of walking like a normal person. The sight of him singing to a frying pan the next day after she woke up had immediatly lifted her spirits. It was either that or the cherry colored blush that stained his cheeks after he turned to find her watching him. Who knew Austin Tucker blushed. She found him charming. He wasnt nearly as cool as he wanted to be, or as suave as he wanted people to think that he was.

He was a surprisingly good cook. He said it was the only skill his mother gave him. He made breakfast every morning, and she was grateful. They would sit down at the table and eat together. It was a first for both of them.

After seeing the home in all of its glory in the light of day she was more than entire house was made up of earthy tones, deep greens and warm woods. When she complimented the decor, she found out that he had hired a decorator and just asked her to make it homey and inviting. Whatever she had done worked, the place was fabulous.

Her next great discovery had been the library. The library that he had never even set foot in. It wasnt overly large, but it there was a large window next to a sitting area in the back that overlooked the lake. In her opinion, it was by far the most impressive room in the she started waxing poetic about some of the more obscure titles, he gave an indulgent smile and left her to her own devices.

She purused through the titles. There were some interesting ones, and some tried and tested library standbys. The section that peaked her interest the most was the true crime corner. She grabbed In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and settled into the plush white sofa. She didnt realize that nearly the entire day had gone by, until she heard Austin calling her name. He stuck his head in, and told her dinner was ready.

They sat down together for the second time that day and ate. "You dont have to cook for me you know, I can fend for myself."

He put his napkin down and cleared his throat,"My family wasnt big on the sitting down around the table together thing. I like this."

It was Kelly's turn to be indulgent. "Neither was Sheila. It's nice."

He looked up and smiled at her admission. Nothing more was said but it became an unspoken rule they would share meals together.

After dinner the next night, Austin joined her in the library.

"Find anything good?"

"Depends on your definition."

"I trust you opinion."

"Truman Capote, In Cold Blood."

"Thriller?"

"True story. It's about a family that was murdered in Kansas in 1959."

He stared at her and then laughed, "I take it back about trusting your opinion. That's absolutly horrifying. I have comic books and you choose familial ?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment before answering. "There is life after gymnatics you know."

"And in this life you will turn to violent crime?" He joked.

"Yes and I plan to start with you."

"Lies. I'm growing on you."

"Like a fungus."

"Well you do love mushrooms." He laughed. "Seriously tell me about this life after gymnastics. What's the plan."

She took a deep breath, "I want to be a Atticus Finch."

"A lawyer?''

"Not just a lawyer. I want to move mountains, slay dragons, save people."

"Careful Kelly your good side is showing." He ducked as she threw a pillow from the couch at him. Picking it up from where it landed, he tossed it back on the couch and sat down next to her.

"So what's so great about this book it sounds horrible."

She opened it to a random page, "Listen. 'You are a man of extreme passion, a hungry man not quite sure where his appetite lies, a deeply frustrated man striving to project his individuality against a backdrop of rigid conformity. You exist in a half-world suspended between two superstructures, one self-expression and the other self-destruction. You are strong, but there is a flaw in your strength, and unless you learn to control it the flaw will prove stronger than your strength and defeat you. The flaw? Explosive emotional reaction out of all proportion to the occasion. Why? Why this unreasonable anger at the sight of others who are happy or content, this growing contempt for people and the desire to hurt them? All right, you think they're fools, you despise them because their morals, their happiness is the source of your frustration and resentment. But these are dreadful enemies you carry within yourself-in time destructive as bullets. Mercifully, a bullet kills its victim. This other bacteria, permitted to age, does not kill a man but leaves in its wake the hulk of a creature torn and twisted; there is still fire within his being but it is kept alive by casting upon it f*ggots of scorn and hate. He may successfully accumulate, but he does not accumulate success, for he is his own enemy and is kept from truly enjoying his achievements.' This book is about life and sometimes our actions are horrifying but this book makes us question the root causes of those actions; the why?"

"Kelly Parker, the philosopher. You my dear, are full of secrets and surprises. The good kind."

She looked over at him, and he was giving her a small half smile. She felt a deep blush grace her cheeks. That smile made his face even more attractive in the low light. She averted her eyes and cleared her throat. "Yes well, dont forget they are secret for a reason. Cant have you destroying my reputation."

He let out a quiet laugh. "You have a beautiful voice."

She could feel the heavy force of his gaze still on her.

"Could you read some more, I just want to listen."

"Does Austin Tucker need a bedtime story?" She joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Never had one of those either." He leaned up off the back of the couch, turned, and placed his head in her lap. "Indulge me."

She opened the book to the first page and started to read. Halfway through the first chapter she glanced upfrom the page and looked down. He had fallen asleep. She took a moment to take in the interplay of light and shadows across the hard planes of his face, childlike in sleep. He was beautiful.

It had only been two days; but she was already in way to deep.

* * *

Hope you liked it there is much more to come from these two.

The quote comes from Capote's In Cold Blood. Which is a really good book.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2

This takes place after Austin sees Payson and Sasha at the Spruce Juice

* * *

She should have known that hiding in the library was a bad idea. It was the first place he looked when he arrived. She put up a valiant effort pretending that he wasn't standing in front of her, for at least a solid minute. Sinking down as far as she could into the chair, and staring intensely at the page in front of her.

She knew he wouldn't just go away, but she wanted to put off the inevitable conversation for as long as possible.

It wasn't even a minute later when the book was snatched from her grasp and she was stating into the unamused eyes of Austin Tucker.

"I can't believe, you knew about this, and didn't say anything." His voice was tight.

"What did you want me to say, and when did you want me to say it?" She deadpanned.

"I dont know." He gave an exaggerated shrug. "How about that time when I asked you point blank."

"As I told you then, it was none of your business. It's still none of your business. Just drop it."

Kelly attempted to take her book back. But he held it up higher. "You said it was none of our business. You failed to mention you were already fully informed."

"Didn't know you were a gossip. Why do you even care Tucker?" She planned to dance around the subject for as long as possible.

"You see I've decided to become a close personal friend of yours, and doing that means caring about you. It also means caring about what you care about, and you care about Payson. Even if that wasnt the case she is my friend too. As a matter of fact, she was my friend before she was yours, and tonight my friend was hurting. Not to mention, a man I trust, a man we all trust, appears to be responsible. So no Kelly I'm not a gossip and yeah Kelly, I care. I thought you trusted me; why would you lie? I could have helped, I still can, if you tell me what the hell is going on?"

His voice was filled with earnestness, and Kelly felt her resolve cave. "I do trust you, I didnt tell you because Pay trusted me. She was my first real friend; my best friend before you. I'm new to this whole friend thing, but keeping each others secrets seems to be a part of it."

"You lied it to me, to protect her." He concluded.

"Why else would I lie to you? I would never lie to you."

He didnt say anything, as he finally relaxed his stance, and took a seat next to her on the couch.

They sat in silence for awhile before she added, ''And dont be so mad at Sasha either. He isn't responsible, well not entirely, or rather they both are and both aren't. I don't really know, all I know is there was a thing, and now there is no thing. "

"A thing? Like a thing thing"

In the intrest of full disclosure she decided to start at the beginning. He had seen the aftermath, but he had no idea how they got to that point. It would be nice to have someone elses perspective on it. "There was an...incident in Rio"

"What she kissed him again?"

"Something like that, only this time... he kissed her back."

"Oh," he sat forward on the sofa. "When you say, kissed or something like that do you mean..." He raised his eyebrows suggestively. When she didn't deny it he let his head fall forward, "Wow, how does that happen?"

"Is that rhetorical or do you need details?"

"I'm actually curious."

"From my understanding, and it is a very limited one. He got drunk and she took advantage."

"She took advantage?" Austin asked incredulously.

"Or she got drunk and he took advantage. All I know is they were both drunk, and someone took advantage. Either way, they didn't know what they were doing, and now everyone is hurting and everything has been shot to hell."

"Maybe not." He said after a minute.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I doubt it was the alcohol, or rather not just the alcohol." He turned to face her, "You see the way they are with each other. It's like they are drawn together. When we're in the gym, they constantly find a way to be near each other. That is the way they have always been, and that was before she kissed him the first time. He watches her and she watches him."

"The way they don't need words." Kelly pointed out.

"Finish each others sentences." Austin noted.

"It would be epic." Kelly sighed.

"If he wasnt twenty years older, and her coach, and you werent kinda weirded out."

"Ten years older, and I'm totally weirded out." She corrected before laughing.

Kelly let the laughter subside before she spoke, "It was kind of sweet. I mean for a minute there, before the current cold war. Every morning they would bring each other coffee. He smirked and Payson made Bambi eyes. They were happy. Now," She smiled wistfully remembering how things were not to long ago.

"Now," Austin prompted.

"Now, I can only stand to be around one of them at a time. They are miserable and it makes everyone else miserable."

He nodded recognizing the truth in her words. "Maybe that is for the best, I mean how else could this have turned out? Better they hurt a little bit now, than have this destroy them later."

"But she loves him."

"Do you think he loves her?"

"I think so. The question is how much? Is it, A, I love you so much that I cant live without you, I'll do anything to be with you, follow you to hell and back consequences be damned love, or B, he loves her so much that he would be willing to let her go if he thought it was for the best?"

Austin looked over quizzcally, "Which one is better?"

"I dont think one is really more than the other, it just depends on the person. To chose option A you have to be slightly selfish."

"Well you know the kind of man Sasha is, so you know what he will do."

Kelly sighed deeply. "Let her go."

He nodded. "Yep. Which means our misery has just begun. Now instead of Sasha the Terrible, we have to deal with Sasha the Heartbroken, and I'm sure he is a thousand times worse. Last time he was heartbroken, he decimated the world and won four gold medals and three silver in one Olympics."

Kelly groaned."Poor Payson."

"No, poor us."

She playfully threw a pillow at him. "Shut up. What happened to, my friends are hurting. I must help."

"I realized I'm probably going to be hurting just as much, if not more than them, once Sasha finishes drilling us tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that."

"The return of Sasha the Sadist."

"Sasha the Broken Hearted Sadist. Our pain my only be physical, but it is very real."

They laughed, then Kelly placed her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. She was so tired, but there was a question that she wanted to ask. She only hoped it didnt reveal to much about her own feelings. "What would you do in that situation?"

"If I was a coach who fell in love with my gymnast; or a gymnast who fell in love with my coach?"

"Not just that scenario. What would you do if you fell in love with someone you knew you couldn't have?"

He looked at her, with those dark endless eyes, then leaned closer. "I must be inherently selfish, because there is no doubt in my mind I would take what I wanted, option A all day, consequences be damned." His voice was low, and his face was exceedingly close to hers.

"And what do you want." Her voice was so low and strained she was surprised he could hear it.

"Right now," his voice held the same strain.

She nodded.

"This, you," he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

"Kelly," he moaned lowly and then louder. She always knew she was good. "Kelly, wake up."

She opened her eyes, to find him standing above her. "I fell asleep. I was dreaming."

"Great deduction, Sherlock. We were talking about imminent pain, and the next thing I know you're drooling on my shoulder. I would have left you here, but last time you complained that about crick in you neck for two days."

"You could have been a gentleman and carried me to my room."

"So you could wake up and punch me, I've seen the way you sleep. The bed looks like it went ten rounds with Mayweather when you wake up."

She leaned back and closed her eyes, the dream still at the forefront of her mind. It had been so real she could still feel the his breath on he cheek. When she opened her eyes the man of her dreams was standing there holding out his hand to help her up.

She accepted his offer and then walked past him to the door. "Good night, Tucker."

"Sweet dreams, Kelly."


	3. Chapter 3

Ch.3

This was fast becoming the trip from hell. Kelly groaned as Marty handed out the room assignments and she was left standing next to Lauren. Five nights locked in a room with the bitchy blonde. It didn't bode well for their team morale which wa in desperate need of a boost. The twenty-three hour trip had revealed the fractured nature of the team. They may have selected the strongest individual gymnasts, but they did not send the strongest team. The spent the majority of their time together in silent indifference.

There were two girls from Boston, but she only knew one Andrea Conway. They had entered the senior division the same year, but never really gotten to know each other. Kelly hadn't been big on making friends at the time.

Wendy and Reagan were younger than the rest of them, and seemed almost intmidated. The alternates were sharing a room and seating arrangments so that nullified Emily's companionship, and Payson was playing the quiet game. She had become the queen of the one worded answer, no matter the question. She'd also disappeared as soon as they arrived at the airport. Kelly knew she was hurting so she left it alone.

They got off the elevator, and Lauren followed her into the room declaring, "The rest of my stuff will be here shortly, try not to steal anything. I sleep in the bed next to the window." That said she headed to the bathroom, and slammed the door loudly behind her. It was official this week was going to suck.

Kelly's phone rang, and she was grateful for the distraction.

Austin. She picked up and smiled, as the voice on the other end started talking before she could utter a greeting. "So I have a problem. I have loads of frequent flyer miles from various promotional gigs and competitions burning a hole in my wallet."

"Hi, Austin. Hello Kelly, how are you? I'm fine. How was the flight? Long and lame. I'm sorry to hear that but glad to see you made it safely. Thanks friend you're the greatest."

She heard him scoff. "Of course. Hello Kelly I'm glad you had a safe trip. I hope you are settling into your room nicely and enjoying Greece. Better?"

"Much, now why are we discussing frequent flyer miles.

"I'm thinking of having a guys weekend. Take a trip somewhere you know since Sasha isnt here."

"Any place in particular?"

"A beach somewhere would be nice, I'm feeling tropical."

"Well you guys enjoy yourselves, just not to much."

"You know, I was thinking Greece is really nice this time of year." His voice was teasing.

Her heart quickened, but she played along. "It is, and in case you didnt know the best team in the world will be competing here all week."

"I heard China was going to be there."

"Ha ha very funny."

"So you think this Greece might be a good destination."

"It wouldn't suck, to have you here." She hoped she was coming across as non chalant. "So you should totally come I mean or not whatever."

His tone belied the smile she knew was there. "Thats sweet. You want me to come and be your cheerleader."

He could be so infuriating. "No, I mean it's no big deal, whatever."

"Ah, you want me to come. I will not hang up this phone until you tell me the truth. I'm prepared to wait you out. Come on let me here it."

"Yeah ok I do."

"Good."

"If you leave now you could probably make the team finals."

"I'll be there."

A knock sounded at her door, probably the rest of Laurens bags. "Hey Austin, I gotta go. See you when you get here."

"You bet."

She danced over to the door. If Austin was here she might be able to deal with Payson's surly tourtured silence and Lauren's...well Laurenness. She opened the door and nearly fell down. Standing there grinning with the phone still up to his ear was Austin Tucker.

* * *

They had a few hours of free time before the nights festivities. She and Austin decided to spend it together. Max and Nicky had come with him, but they were off doing their own thing. She tried to reign in her excitment. They were just two friends hanging out. Walking through the town, they tried bites of different foods, and took in the local atmosphere. If she closed her eyes for a moment she could almost imagine they were a real couple out on a date.

She was having such a good time she wished she could skip the upcoming event, but it was mandatory for the entire team to be there. As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready, she thought about what her primary mission for the evening. She needed to show all the sponsors that had abandoned her that she was back and better than ever. It would be easy to do with Austin by her side, even if it was only as a friend and cheerleader. He seemed to believe in her for some reason, and she drew strength from that unwavering faith.

The kissing dream had to be put out of her mind. He was a sweet, charming, good looking guy and she spent an enormous amount of time with him. She was bound to be attracted to him, it was a natural response. It didnt mean anything else, plus he was still getting over his break up with Kaylie and she had no intention of being a rebound.

She thought back over their time together. He'd never given an indication that he wanted to be anything other than her friend. Even showing up here for her the way he had didnt mean anything. After seeing the way he took up for Payson, she realized that he probably would have done it for any of his friends. Pushing for anything more could ruin one of the least dysfunctional relationships she had ever had in her life. One only had to look at Payson and Sasha to see how wrong things could go in that department. It was time to put away her girlish daydreams of princes and white horses. Tonight was important and she needed to have her head in the game.

This time when the knock came she wasnt surprised. Austin said he would be there to escort her. What did surprise her was the picture he made standing there at her door holding a rose and waiting to take her to the ball. All of her meticulious reasoning flew out the window. As ahe accepted the flower, her heart clenched and she realized she the truth had been staring her in the face all along.. It was official she was cant eat, cant sleep, reach for the stars, over the moon, head over heels, crazy in love with Austin Tucker. Yep this week was really going to suck.


End file.
